Pomf vs rustypaste
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Pomf | rustypaste |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 13 · At risk | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 923 | ★ 1,207 |
| First released | 2015 | 2021 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, Imgur | WeTransfer, Imgur |
What are Pomf and rustypaste?
Pomf
Pomf is a lightweight file uploading and sharing platform written in PHP. It powers many community file hosts and is easy to deploy on shared hosting.
- Runs on shared hosting
- Drag-and-drop uploads
- Simple API
rustypaste
rustypaste is a minimal self-hosted file upload and pastebin service written in Rust. It supports expiring uploads, one-shot files, and command-line usage with curl.
- One-shot expiring uploads
- Curl-friendly API
- Minimal resource usage
Pomf vs rustypaste: key differences
Pomf is written in PHP, while rustypaste is built with Rust. Rustypaste is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 64 MB for Pomf. Pomf is the more established project (first released 2015), while rustypaste arrived in 2021. Rustypaste lists first-class Docker deployment; Pomf does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Pomf if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose rustypaste if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Pomf or rustypaste better?
Neither is universally better. rustypaste has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Pomf and rustypaste free and open-source?
Yes. Pomf is licensed under MIT and rustypaste under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pomf and rustypaste with Docker?
Pomf: check the project docs for container support. rustypaste: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Pomf or rustypaste?
rustypaste has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for Pomf. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.